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June 2014
PHOTOGRAMMETRIC ENGINEERING & REMOTE SENSING
S
ummary
During the eight years between 1964, when the first data
were obtained with a multispectral scanner over a non-mili-
tary target, and 1972 when ERTS-1 was launched, an amazing
amount of progress was made, including data handling, im-
age analysis and classification, data display capabilities, bet-
ter understanding of the spectral reflectance of earth surface
materials and many other advancements in remote sensing
technology. Tremendous progress has continued throughout
these past 50 years in data collection (utilizing a wide array
of remote sensing instruments), data processing and analysis,
and applications. Today, many types of remote sensor data
are being utilized throughout the world for a wide variety of
very practical applications in many disciplines. As one consid-
ers the tremendous progress made in remote sensing and GIS
(Geographic Information Systems) over the last 50 years, you
cannot help but wonder: “What will the next 50 years bring?”
R
eferences
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A
cknowledgements
I would like to acknowledge Dr. Marvin Bauer, University
of Minnesota, for his excellent review of this article; and Dr.
Russ Congalton, University of New Hampshire and Editor-in-
Chief,
PE&RS
, for his encouragement to submit the article.
I also acknowledge all my former colleagues at Purdue
University for their part in the research and in the develop-
ment of the computer-aided analysis techniques discussed in
this article. I would also like to acknowledge the engineers
at the Institute of Science and Technology, University of
Michigan for their pioneering efforts in developing the first
multispectral scanner systems.
A
uthor
Roger M. Hoffer, PhD
Professor Emeritus, Department of Forest Sciences
Colorado State University
Fort Collins, Colorado 80523
